Device for indicating inclination of boreholes



Aug. 26; 1952 w. J. BIELsTl-:IN

Filed Dec. 28, 1950 DEVICE FOR INDICATING INCLINATION OF BOREHOLES FIG. 2.

WMM/WMM ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 26, k1.952

F BOREHOLES Walter.l J. Bielstein, Houston, Tex;, assigiior, byJ

mesne assignments, to Standard Oill Development Company, Elizabeth,` N. J a corporation-` of` Delawarel lev This inventicnik relates to the. art' of` drilling; boreholes into: subsurface: formations by the r'o= tary;y drilling: method and; more: particularly re-V latesl to the art4 off ascertaining andi indicating' deviations from verticali ofi a: borehole`v drilled. by said method,`

Inl' thedrilling:` of? boreholes by?y tliei rotary'drilli-h ingmethod;- the' equipment employed includes ai dfrill bit which: ismountedoni thelower end` of a; string of pipei know-n1y as drilli pipef the' drill pipe being providedf at itsuppe'rend with a kelly; rod or griefstem by means@ off tl'ie` dA v1 pipel is rotated through the rn'ecliuin-A o `rotary tabl-e2 While the* drill stem is rotated 1 the: borehole` for.y the purpose of deepening tl'ie. borehole-1,. it'. corn'iiionA practice to circulate? adrilling fluidi4 con# tinuously through the'fdriilf stem-fand the vclfrilllloi-t.V This' drilling nuid is:` pumped-1 downwardly" inside the drill stem through the' eyes of the bit aridi.

upwardly inv the annular space b'e'tween'- the: drill stom' andtlie'iboreholwallsl- 0rtliii'arilythe'fdilill'-Y ingfmudf lea-ving the" borehole passed over a shale shakerin order-tol separ'aw-fronr the drill?Y ingfluid.r the coarser material suspended therein after which the driIli-ng'f fluid maybe stored in4` a pit. or tank` for further lise,A

Durme therf drilling` of.' boreholes? bly the? rotary drilling method it has been fou-'ndi diili'clzlty to maintain ai verticalk course: Because"- deviations from the vertical; it of" any appreciable insigni-- tude, cause many diiiiculties, it has' been the practice to2survey'tliefborehole front time to time to determinewhether' or not: the'. borehole is; de# viating: item2 vertical and: to determine the ex.'- ten'tiof the deviation,` ifi any1; Obviously; such; procedure is time-consumingvrandzifs otlienviseun` satisfactory;` particularly' in"y that deviation. cannot be determined atthe time that drilling is: be ingf accomplished. Byl theti'rneY that deviation be'- com'esf kno-wn, the borehole may have'` deviated so far fromr the. verticalfas to cause; serious didi-7 culties in: straightening same.Vr Itv ist apparent', therefore, that any practical method#y fon deter miningand-l indicating. deviation" shouldf detect and-indicate. any deviationat' thei very inceptionv thereo so thatfpropei'- vsteps may bei taken: by'

the drilling crew ftoiresteie the Verticalialignment offtliefborel'iolew v Y it vi's'v alri-ect ot the.I presentl-inventionito pro vide. a device. Vvtfloicll is any integral part of. the' d'rll Si'frg andv which` is,y adapted to determineandui'ndieate `the deer-eefr of inclination of the` boieholefrom the,verticalt Itisa furthen object ofthe presentinvention to provide such aidevice. which indicates degieeoi`L inclination Whilethe:

als refer to like parts throughout-l'Hldesignates-af, tubular member. fluidly connectibletog asource of; drilling` fluid under` pressurev as by' means; et threaded-upper end portion- I-I :and threadedlower f end@V portieriv l-2 Preferably the externaly and in-i f ,terna-l, diameters ot tubular mem-ber luf are. 4the same. as the external andlinternalf diameter of ai Aconventional drill collar. Tubular member tu de- 2 Y. Thefpresent invention may be described; briefly` as a tubular member', which: may suitably be a drill collar sub; adapted tof-bel removably securedf.l

to` the drill string'. aiidmade a part tl'iereof,A said. tubular member: having a longitudinali chamber donned-f by the walls thereof, a free-A swing-ing pendulum carrying: marking meansl on*y the lowerend` thereof suspendedn: saldi chamber, record meanscarriedi in said chamber for receiving: an' impressioni thereon from" said marking; meansJ and means for ejecting saidf` recordvmeansi irontl the` lori'gitudinalf chamber and throughl the outer wall of said` tubular member into the upwardlyI moving stream of drilling fluid'.y TheY record means is` made' of a material having suchV4 a speciicgravity thatit Willlb'e carried upwardly by' the' drilling mudf and7 deposited`l onthe shaleV shaker, or other suitable means for intercepting.

said" record2 means, from whi'chitimaybe recov-f The aforern'eiltioned obiects andi other advani tages: ofy my invention willy b'e': apparent from the4 following` detailed description taken`4` inconnes-- tion with the accompanying', drawings. In the drawing,r like numerals indicateY lkey parts' throughout Y Fig'. 11 isl a: View" ofi a drill collar sub; whichI houses ther apparatus of the' present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentarycross-sectional view of` the; device of my invention. takenv along' the' line@ II-IIl ofi Figa 1;. l

Figi.. 3'y isi at cross-sectioria-ly vi'ewl' showing incle-'f tailf a: portioir4 of' the mechanism illustratediim Fig. l; t

Fig; 5 is a? Vie-vict' aiporticn of the devicefshoW-rn in Fig; l.; i

Fig". fi's' aY detailed viewof theimeansf employed?.l

for suspending the stylus shown in Figlyand Referring to the drawing whichf like numr nes outsidefcylindrical surface lf3- and'interfnai cylindrical sur-face: I4-,theinternal surfaced# through duct I8. The lower extremity of cylindrical chamber I1 fluidly communicates'with external surface I3 of body I0 through duct IS.v

Chamber 28 traverses the wall of body I0 horizontally and fluidly connects chamber I1 with central passage I5. Cylindrical chamber 2| horizontally traverses the walls of body Ill and iluidly connects the lower portion ofgchamber I1 with its outer periphery sealing means 46 for providing a fluid-tight seal between piston 44 and the walls of chamber |1. Sealing means 46 may suitably be an O-ring.

Tubular member 41 having a closed lower end is secured at its closed lower end to piston 44 coaxially therewith by a suitable lost motion 3 means; for example, bolt 49 which is shown most clearly in Fig. 3. `The outside diameter of tubularmember 4l is less than the diameter of chamber I1 and, accordingly, may be moved longitudinally in chamber I1. The outer surface of tubular member 41 carries outwardly extending shoulder 5|). Disposed in recess 23 of chamber central passage I5, chamber 2| being disposed below chamber 20. is positioned within chamber I1 between the juncture of chamber with chamber I1' and the juncture of Vchamber 2| with chamber I1. Annular recess`23 is positioned in chamber I1 at a point in chamber I1 below the juncture of chamber I1 and chamber 2 but above port I9. Chamber I6 denes an inwardly projecting shoulder 24 at its upper end and inwardly projecting shoulder 25 adjacent its juncture with chamber I1. Chamber 20 denes inwardly projecting shoulder 26 at the juncture of chamber 20 with central passage I5. Chamber 2| defines inwardly projecting shoulder 21 at the juncture of chamber 2| with central passage I5.

Mounted within chamber 2U and aixed to the end of said chamber which connects with charnber I1 is guide plate 28 which denes a central opening passing transversely therethrough coaxially with chamber 20 and also denes a plurality of openings 3U spaced from` the central opening. Mounted slidably within chamber 23 for longitudinal movement therein is piston 3| carrying suitable sealing means 32 for providing aluid-tight seal between piston 3| and the walls of chamber'2. Sealing means 32 may. suitably bean O-ring. Piston rod 33 is mechanically affixed to piston 3| and passes slidably through the central opening dened by guide member 2B. Helical spring 34 circumscribes rod 33, one end of said string being biased against guide member 28 and the other end biased against piston 3|, the said spring tending to bias piston 3| away from guide member 28. Afxed to that end of rod 33 opposite from the end axed to piston 3| is a forked member 35 extending longitudinally from rod 33 and defining two prongs 36 lying in a horizontal plane.

Piston 31 is slidably disposed within chamber I6, the outer periphery of piston 31 carrying a sealingV means 39 thereon for providing a iiuidtight seal between piston 31 and the walls of.

chamber I6. Sealing means 39 may suitably be an 0ring.

Mounted within chamber 2| at the juncture of said chamber with chamber I1 is orice plate 4D which is Ytraversed by oriiicev 4|. Piston" 42 is slidably disposed within chamber 2| for longitudinal movement within vsaid chamber between' inwardly extending shoulder 21 and orifice plate 40. Piston 42 carries on its outer periphery sealing means`43` for providing a huid-tight seal between'piston 42 and the walls of cylindrical chamber 2|` Sealing means 43 may suitably be an O-ring. e

Piston is siidabiy arranged within 'chamber I1 'adjacent ther lower end thereof for longif tudinal'movement therein. Piston 44 carriesfone Annular sealing means 22Y I1 and circumscribing tubular member 41 is ring member -5|, ring member 5| having an internal diameter sufficiently great to permit the -r passage of tubular member 41 therethrough.

, upperend within'chamber I1.

Helical spring 52 circumscribes tubular member 41, its upper end being biased upwardly against outwardly projecting shoulder 50 and its lower end being biased downwardly against ring member 5|. Sealing means 22, as for example an O-ring, provides a fluid-tight seal between tubular member 41 and the wall of chamber I1 but permits longitudinal movement of tubular member 41 in chamber I1 therethrough. Sealing means 22 effectively divides chamber I1 into a lower portion I1 and an upper portion I1".

Projecting above the upper open end 54 of tubular member 41 are ears, or stops 51 and 58, which project toward the longitudinal axis of the tubular member 41. Tubular member 41 also carries near its upper end 54 outwardly ex tending lug 55. Mounted within tubular member 41 on the closed lower end thereof is helical spring 59 which exerts an upward bias against discs 60 mounted within tubular member 41. Theexternal diameter of discs 60 is less than the internal diameter of tubular member 41 and consequently spring 59 moves disc 6|) upwardly ywithin tubular member 41 andbiases said rdisc against ears 51 and 58.v Inwardly projecting stop Ill is arranged within chamber I1 to limit the upward movement of tubular member 41 on abutment of projecting lug 55 of tubular member 41 against stop |00. v

Slot IGI passes transversely through the wall of body Ill fluidly connecting chamber I1 with external surface I3 of body I0. Slot II carries disposed therein rubber lips |2 and |03 which yieldably close said lslot against the passage of huid therethrough. Rubber lip |02 is mechanically aflixed to the upper side of slot IUIand rubber lip |03 is likewise ailixed to the lower side'of slot IGI. Rubber lips |62 and |63 being tightly pressed together form a fluid-tight seal. The inner surfaces of rubber lips |02 and |33 are beveled so as to form an outwardly extending V. The apex of the V being adjacent chamber' I1izis located directly opposite fork by piston rod 33. y

AV weighted 'stylus' '6| 'is suspended from its 35 carried of stylusV GI carries `a sharp'vmetallic point B2,

pointA 52 extending downwardly within chamber I1 suiciently far to engage withth'e'upperf suspended at its upper` end by any means which l will Vpermit'the said stylus to return to a substantially vertical position 'after the forces tend- The lower end which may be taken is limited only by the numel ber of discs E which canbe carried in cartridge 41. Inasmuch as these discs can be made relatively thin and since cartridge 41 may be of any desired length, it will be apparentrthat .a `very large number of discs may be carried in the device of my invention. Preferably, I prefer to employ a disc of approximately 1/8 inch thickness when the disc is made of plastic. These discs, however, may be made of any material which will be sufficiently soft to receive an impression when contacted by marker 62 and yet suiiciently rugged to withstand the conditions to Awhich it will be subjected while in the mud stream.

When all of discs 60 have been used, it is of course, lnecessary to removey cartridge 41, refill it with discs 66, and reinsert cartridge 41 in the devicel of my invention. Removal and replacement of cartridge l1 is accomplished by unscrewing bolts H0 and removing outer wall member III. With outer wall member lll so removed, cartridge 41 together with piston 4, spring 52 and ring 5| may be lifted from its normal posi--V tion. Discs 60 are inserted into the upper end of cartridge l1 until the said cartridge has again been relled. Of course, as discs are inserted in cartridge 41, spring 59 is again compressed. The relled cartridge 41 may then be returned to its operative position Within the device of my invention and secured thereon by ai`n`xing member l l I to body I0 by means of bolts I l0.

What I wish to claim is: Y

1. A device for indicating the deviation from vertical of a drill stem employed in penetrating subsurface formations by the rotary drilling method While drilling fluid is maintained in said drill stem comprising, in combination, a tubular member dening `a central longitudinal passage extending therethrough, said tubular member being adapted to be iluidly connected with and made a part of said drill stem, the walls of said member defining a chamber having a normally closed opening connecting said chamber and an outer surface of said tubular member, apiv otally suspended marker disposed in said chamber and arranged to assume a vertical position when acted upon by gravity only, ejectable record means disposed in said chamber and arranged to be marked by said marker When said marker is acted upon by gravity only, and means for ejecting said record means from said chamber through said normally closed opening after said record means has been marked by said marker.

2. A device for indicating the deviation from vertical of a drill stememployed in penetrating subsurfacev formations by the rotary drilling method While driling fluid is maintained in said drill stem comprising, in combination, a. tubular member Ahaving a central longitudinal passage extending therethrough and adapted toV be uidly connected with and made apart of said 'drillvr stem, said tubularmember having an outer and an;inner surface forming -a'wall portion with said-inner surface defining said central longi tudinalpassageysaid wall portion dening a longitudinal chamber and` a-normallyvclosed openingl connecting saidv vlongitudinal chamber and thepouter surfaceof "said .tubular member, a stylus carrying ar marking meansv pivotally suspendedin saidflong'itudinal chamber and arrangedto assume avertical position when acted f upon by .gravity only, .a disc cartridge carrying at least one disc disposed .in said longitudinal chamber and arranged 1to1 move said disc `into 8' 1 operative relationj `with 1 the; marking means of said stylus to mark said disc in response to a decrease in fludQpreSsure in said central longitudinal passage, and meansearranged to eject said disc from said 'cartridge-,and said longitudinal chamber through said normally closed opening in response` togan increase in uid pressure in said central longitudinal passage.

. 3.v A device for indicating the deviation fromv vertical of a drill stem employed in penetrating subsurface formations 4by the rotary drilling method While drilling fluid is maintained in said drill stem comprising, in combination, a tubular member defining a central longitudinal passage extending therethrough and adapted to be fiuidlyv connected with and made a part of said drilly stem, the wall of said tubular member dening a longitudinal chamber and a port iluidly connectingsaid longitudinal chamber withthe outer means arranged to eject said disc from said car-y tridge and from said longitudinal chamber through Ythe deformable sealing means arranged in said port in response to an increase in iluid pressure in the borehole.

4. A device Vfor indicating the deviation fromV vertical of a drill stem employed in penetrating subsurface formations by the rotary drilling method while drilling fluid is maintained in said drill stem comprising, in combination, a tubular member dening a central longitudinal passage extending therethrough adapted to be fluidly connected with and made a part of said drill v stem, the Wall portion of said tubular member having an inner surface dening said central longitudinal passage and having anouter cylindrical surface, said wall portion dening a longitudinal chamber between said surfaces and an opening fiuidly vconnecting said longitudinal chamber with said outer surface, a deformable sealing means normally closing said port and arranged to seal said port'against the passage of uids therethrough, a stylus pivotally suspended in said' longitudinal chamber and arranged to assume ajvertical position when acted `upon by gravity only, a markingpoint carried on the free end of said stylus, a disc cartridge carrying at least one disc disposed in said longitudinal chamber, biasing meansV cooperating with said cartridge toY move saididisc into operativer relag tion With said marking means to mark said disc in response to a decrease in fluid pressure in the' borehole, and a disc engaging member adapted to engage said disc and to eject said vdisc from said cartridge. `and v said'flongitudinal 'chamber vertical of a drill stem employed in penetrating subsurface lformations by the rotary Vdrillingy methodwhile .drilling fluid ismaintained in said drill stem' comprising, combination, a tubular member the wall of which has an inner surface defining a central longitudinal passage extending through said member and a cylindrical outer wall surface, said wall defining a longitudinal chamber between said surfaces with a side port uidly connecting said longitudinal chamber with the outer wall surface, said wall defining a first piston chamber iiuidly connecting said longitudinal chamber with said central longitudinal passage and a second piston chamber fluidly connecting said longitudinal chamber with said central passage, said tubular member being adapted to be fluidly connected with and made a part of said drill stem; a pair of deformable, separable lips disposed in said port and arranged to` seal said port against the passage of fluid therethrough, a stylus pivotally suspended in said longitudinal chamber and arranged to assume a vertical position when acted upon by gravity only; a marking point carried on the free end of said stylus vertically beneath the point of suspension of said stylus; a disc cartridge carrying at least one disc disposed in said longitudinal chamber for longitudinal movement in said chamber; a

`sealing ring circumscribing said cartridge, said sealing ring being positioned within said longitudinal chamber between the juncture of said flrst piston chamber with said longitudinal chamber and a juncture of said second piston chamber with said longitudinal chamber; a first piston mechanically connected with said disc cartridge for longitudinal movement within said longitudinal chamber in fluid-tight relation with the walls thereof; a second piston slidably disposed within said first piston chamber for longitudinal movement therein in duid-tight relation with the walls thereof; a third piston slidably disposed within said second piston chamber for longitudinal movement therein in fluid-tight relation with the walls thereof; a fourth piston slidably disposed within said longitudinal chamber above said stylus for longitudinal movement therein in fluid-tight relation with the walls thereof; a plate pierced by an orifice disposed in said second piston chamber adjacent said longitudinal chamber for regulating the rate of flow of fluid between said second piston chamer and the portion of the longitudinal chamber between said sealing ring and said first piston; a spring arranged to bias said cartridge upwardly in said longitudinal chamber to move said disc into engagement with the marking point of said stylus to mark said disc in response to a decrease in fluid pressure in the borehole; and a disc engaging member mechanically affixed to said second piston for movement therewith into said longitudinal chamber for engagement with said disc after said disc has been marked by said marking point to eject said disc from said cartridge and said longitudinal chamber through the deformable, separable lips in said side port in response to an increase in fluid pressure in the borehole.

WALTER, J. BIELSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,905,546 Webster Apr. 25, 1933 1,981,665 Rieber Nov. 20, 1934 2,255,721 Mattingly Sept. 9, 1941 

